"I hear the miners in the Underworld usually wear this kind of coarse cloth... To hide our identities, I'll have to ask you to bear with wearing this for now."
Bronya spoke to Ron as she adjusted her hair. She undid her intricate, signature triple-drill curls, simply parting her silver hair down the middle and letting it fall to either side.
The triple-turbo duck had successfully devolved into a twin-turbo duck.
Her entire demeanor softened considerably, and Ron felt that Bronya looked much more mature.
To think that Bronya actually knew to conceal her identity. As expected, the AI from the simulation and the real person outside of it were simply incomparable...
Ron complained silently in his heart as he straightened out the clothes he had just changed into.
If this were the Bronya from the simulation, she would have already charged straight into the Underworld by now.
The hostility of the Underworld? The simulated Bronya would have never cared about such a thing; she probably wouldn't have even been willing to change out of her military uniform.
A small seed of trust in Bronya began to sprout in Ron's mind... The real-world Bronya was actually reliable!
---o---
As the two walked toward the Belobog cable car station, Ron watched as Bronya expertly navigated a series of twists and turns, slipping through the city's shadows until she finally found a hidden, narrow path.
"According to the map's directions, this is it."
Bronya led Ron through the long alley, winding through a cramped rock tunnel, before the space suddenly opened up—
For the first time, the city built into the earth's core revealed its full visage to Ron and Bronya. Walking into Boulder Town in the Underworld, one could feel a scenery completely different from that of Belobog's Overworld...
The disparity lay not in the physical environment between the two districts, but in the lives of their citizens.
If the citizens of the Overworld were already at a point where they needed to buy soda for 5,200 credits, then the prices of goods in the Underworld had long since reached astronomical figures that even the Overworld couldn't compare to...
Toiling in backward and dangerous mines, the resource-starved Underworld was being bled dry by the Overworld to sustain its citizens.
This poor and dilapidated underground city was filled with an unknowable amount of sorrow.
Bronya led Ron through the streets of Boulder Town with a practiced ease. Thanks to the coarse clothes they wore, while they drew the gazes of many passersby, they didn't attract any hostility.
The looks they received were only of envy and appreciation for their striking appearances. If their identities as Silvermane Guards from the Overworld were discovered, the eyes of these same passersby would not be nearly as friendly.
The Overworld truly owed the Underworld far too much... If they were to rush over and beat Ron and Bronya up, it would probably be a normal reaction.
The pair moved unhindered, weaving through Boulder Town until they arrived before a brightly-lit building. As they approached, they could smell the bitter scent of medicine.
"Sampo told me about the current major power in the Underworld, Wildfire."
Bronya explained to Ron as she pushed open the clinic's door.
"If I want to find the answers I need in the Underworld, making contact with Wildfire is the inevitable choice."
"The leader of Wildfire is named Oleg, but according to Sampo, he's just a figurehead they put out front. The true leader is someone else..."
As Bronya spoke, she looked toward the doctor inside. The woman, with vials of medicine hanging from her person, had just closed a medical text and was now looking up cautiously.
"Isn't that right, Natasha, the 'Leader of Wildfire'?"
"...How do you know about this? What is your purpose?"
Natasha's hand was already reaching for the grenade launcher on her back, her fingertips brushing against the trigger. Her tone was ice-cold.
"I am Bronya Rand, the next Supreme Guardian of Belobog... I have come to the Underworld for the sake of opening up the future for both our districts."
Bronya smiled, her voice warm and friendly. "We are all citizens of Belobog. There should be no barriers between us."
Natasha hesitated for a moment before slowly releasing her grip on the grenade launcher. After Bronya's explanation, she finally let down her guard and guided Bronya and Ron to a nearby table.
"I never thought someone from the Overworld still cared about us..."
She brought Ron and Bronya two cups of hot water, a touch of emotion in her voice.
"If you want to take a good look around the Underworld, I can indeed help you."
"If possible, I'd actually like to accompany a young master and miss from the Overworld myself and show you around..."
She seemed a little helpless. "But the clinic is busy. Every day, people get injured, and others get sick from touching things they shouldn't... As a doctor, I have to do my job."
"However, I can arrange for..."
Before Natasha could finish her sentence, a loud thump echoed as the clinic door was kicked open. A small mountain made of boxes walked in.
Seele poked her head out from the side of the pile of boxes, her voice tinged with impatience.
"Alcohol, bandages, emergency medicine... and a scattered batch of documents. Where do you want me to put all this stuff?"
Hearing Seele's voice, Bronya felt a deep-seated instinct take over. It was as if she had returned to the last simulation where she, as the Supreme Guardian, had worked alongside Seele. She replied subconsciously:
"Just put them by the side. Sort the supplies by category over there to make it easier for the subordinates to organize later. Put the unprocessed documents on the other side; I'll look at them in detail later..."
The Seele who had poked her head out instinctively started to move, ready to follow Bronya's instructions—but she quickly caught herself, her expression freezing as she halted her steps.
She reined in the flicker of shock that had crossed her face for a mere second, feigning a look of confusion as she stared at Bronya.
"And just who are you? Why should I listen to you?"
That's right, Bronya thought. This isn't the last simulation. Why should she listen to me?
Bronya was at a loss for words. The changes her memories had brought her weren't just mental; they were apparent in the smallest details of her life.
The heavy memories of serving as the Supreme Guardian for years had been integrated into Bronya's mind, and she had unconsciously brought her old habits into reality.
In the last simulation, Seele had been her most capable officer, one of the most useful aides among all her subordinates.
Although she had no idea why she couldn't see Seele's attribute traits, she knew her stats were certainly far greater than that of the blue and white-card cannon fodder. Because of this, Bronya had long grown accustomed to ordering Seele to handle things for her.
The atmosphere in the clinic grew tense. Natasha, deftly sensing the awkwardness between the two, quickly stepped in to smooth things over.
"Seele, just put those things by the door."
As she spoke, she helped Seele set down the mountain of supplies and then pulled her over to stand before Ron and Bronya.
"These two are guests from the Overworld. For the sake of friendship between our districts, could you act as their guide and show them around the Underworld?"